LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) flight number SV 44 took off from Los Angeles International Airport on a journey to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Taking off 2 minutes earlier than its 7:30 pm scheduled departure, the flight is the very first nonstop flight from the US West Coast to the Saudi capital city.

To commemorate the important occasion, Saudia Los Angeles staff decorated the check-in counter with flowers, blue and gold balloons and handed out red roses and chocolates to the passengers. Special gifts were also given to the first passengers who checked in in First Class, Business Class and Guest Class.

A B777-300ER made the historic flight which, at more than 16 hours, should be one of the longest flights in commercial aviation today. The Saudi flag carrier launched its Los Angeles to Jeddah nonstop service last year, on March 31, 2014, starting with 3 flights a week and currently at 5 flights weekly during the summer peak season.
While the nonstop LAX-RUH flights will only be limited to the month of August to accommodate market demand during the airline’s peak period, the service is expected to be restored in the future to fulfill the needs of Saudi students, the diplomatic community as well as business travelers who prefer to fly nonstop to the Saudi capital.